Pennsylvania Western University acceptance rate
Acceptance rate: 94.3% (fall admissions, CollegesRef 2026–27 edition). Middle 50% test scores: SAT Reading & Writing 480–580, SAT Math 460–560, ACT 17–25. Admissions details
What we know
Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard · latest data- Students
- 7,451
Larger than 89% of colleges
National median 921
What the numbers say about Pennsylvania Western University
Each finding compares this college's federal figures with other colleges. Your own price and outcome will differ.
- Price against similar colleges
- The average net price of $17,839 a year is $2,640 above the median of $15,199 across 75 public colleges in Pennsylvania.
- Price by family income
- Families earning up to $30,000 paid $13,338 a year after grants, and families earning over $110,000 paid $22,916, a difference of $9,578: the lowest-income families paid 58% of the top bracket's price.
- Debt against earnings
- Graduates who borrowed left with a median of $17,250 in federal loans, 34% of the $51,161 median salary of former students ten years after they started. On a standard 10-year plan that is about $196 a month, 5% of a typical monthly salary.
- Graduation against selectivity
- It admits 94% of applicants, and 51% of first-time, full-time students graduate within 150% of normal time. Colleges admitting 75–100% of applicants have a median graduation rate of 55%, so it graduates fewer students than its selectivity alone would suggest.
Top 5 alternatives to Pennsylvania Western University
Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main CampusIndiana, PA
Bloomsburg University of PennsylvaniaBloomsburg, PA
Millersville University of PennsylvaniaMillersville, PA
Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaKutztown, PA
California University of PennsylvaniaCalifornia, PA
Admissions
Admit rate
Middle 50% test scores
- SAT Reading & Writing
- 480–580
- 200800
- SAT Math
- 460–560
- 200800
- ACT Composite
- 17–25
- 136
Your chances
Check your chancesYour SAT or ACT against Pennsylvania Western University- SAT, middle 50%
- 940–1140
- ACT, middle 50%
- 17–25
Dates and updates
Get reminders before the FAFSA opens and before the usual early, Regular Decision and May 1 dates, plus an email when we update Pennsylvania Western University's cost, admission or outcome figures.
We don't list this college's own deadlines; check its admissions site for those.
Cost & financial aid
Average net price
$17,839
What students paid per year on average after grants and scholarships. Your price depends on family income.
Published price vs. what students paid
- In-state tuition & fees
- $12,075
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $17,006
- Average net price
- $17,839
Students receiving Pell Grants
- Pell Grant recipients
- 44.5%
Free tools
Plan your costs for Pennsylvania Western University
- Can I afford it?Loan payment against what its graduates earn
- How much can I borrow?Federal loan limits and what is left to cover
- Will I get a Pell Grant?Estimate this year's award from your SAI
- What would I repay?Monthly payments on $27,000 of loans
Want it all in one PDF for up to three colleges? See a sample Aid & Loan Plan
Work out your cost
Outcomes & student data
Federal data from IPEDS and the U.S. College Scorecard, not student reviews.
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
Students who return for a second year
Transfer-out rate
First-time, full-time students who transferred to another college
Median earnings
$51,161
Former students who received federal aid
Is it worth it?
What Pennsylvania Western University graduates earn against what they borrow and what the degree costs after grants.
| Latest official data | This college | Similar colleges |
|---|---|---|
| Median earningsFormer students, 10 years after startingSource: U.S. College Scorecard, latest data | $51,161 | $71,762 |
| Typical federal debtGraduates who borrowed; about $196 a month on a 10-year planSource: U.S. College Scorecard, latest data | $17,250 | $24,500 |
| Years to pay back4 years of average net price ($17,839 a year), paid with 10% of median earningsSource: U.S. College Scorecard, latest data | 13.9 years | 9.3 years |
Similar colleges: the median of 36 public four-year colleges in Pennsylvania with the same figures reported. Payback is illustrative: it ignores interest, taxes and living costs, and earnings vary by major. Check a loan payment against earnings.
Explore these programs
Every field of study, with the colleges that offer it and what graduates earn.
Programs A–ZAcademics
Total students
7,451
Carnegie classification
Master's university
A College or University that also has a large number of Master’s Degree programs.
Is this campus your type?
Five questions match you to a college identity, then show where Pennsylvania Western University sits for you.
Take the fit quizLocation & details
Where the campus is, how far it sits from a major city, and other colleges within reach.
Pennsylvania Western UniversityCalifornia, Pennsylvania, United States
Distances are straight-line miles, not driving distance. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, tiles by OpenFreeMap and OpenMapTiles.
Campus
Pennsylvania Western University
California, Pennsylvania, United States
- Public
- Master's university
Distant town
In a smaller urban cluster away from a large metro area.
- City
- Suburb
- Town (this campus)
- Rural
Nearest major cityPittsburgh, PA · about 27 mi
In the city250 mi
- Website
- pennwest.edu
Colleges within 25 miles
- California University of Pennsylvania0 miCalifornia · Avg net price $20,317
Douglas Education Center6.7 miMonessen · Avg net price $29,855- Laurel Technical Institute14.1 miUniontown · Avg net price $10,145
- Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Fayette- Eberly14.6 miLemont Furnace · Avg net price $11,957
- Waynesburg University19.5 miWaynesburg · Avg net price $18,810
- Empire Beauty School-West Mifflin19.6 miWest Mifflin · Avg net price $16,421
- Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny19.6 miMcKeesport · Avg net price $14,194
Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics19.9 miWest Mifflin · Avg net price $29,627
Colleges within 25 miles
- California University of Pennsylvania0 mi · Avg net price $20,317
- Douglas Education Center7 mi · Avg net price $29,855
- Laurel Technical Institute14 mi · Avg net price $10,145
- Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Fayette- Eberly15 mi · Avg net price $11,957
Still have a question?
Ask about admissions, cost or campus life at Pennsylvania Western University. Answers come from CollegesRef data.
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Admit rate, net price and outcomes for Pennsylvania Western University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus, side by side.
Compare with Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main CampusFrequently asked questions
What is the Pennsylvania Western University acceptance rate for 2026?
Pennsylvania Western University admitted 94.3% of applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, the most recent release. That is the figure colleges report to the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
How much is Pennsylvania Western University tuition?
In-state tuition at Pennsylvania Western University is $12,075 and out-of-state tuition is $17,006 a year before financial aid in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition. The average net price after grants is $17,839 a year.
What is the average net price at Pennsylvania Western University?
The average net price at Pennsylvania Western University, what first-time, full-time students paid after grants and scholarships, was $17,839 a year in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition. Your own price depends on family income; the college's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
What is the graduation rate at Pennsylvania Western University?
51.4% of first-time, full-time students at Pennsylvania Western University graduate within six years (150% of normal time), according to the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
What colleges are similar to Pennsylvania Western University?
The closest matches are IUP, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, and Millersville University of Pennsylvania, based on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile.
Data sources & last updated
Last checked Nov 15, 2026
- Admissions
- U.S. College Scorecard · latest data
- Cost
- U.S. College Scorecard · latest data
- Outcomes
- U.S. College Scorecard · latest data
- Enrollment
- U.S. College Scorecard · latest data
Figures come from federal reporting. Text marked “CollegesRef editorial” is our own summary, and similar-college lists come from CollegesRef matching. How we source data
